22/10/2025
Northland fire chiefs are asking the public to check if conditions are right before lighting outdoor fires.
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Northland fire chiefs are asking the public to check if conditions are right before lighting outdoor fires.
Extreme weather has fanned wildfires in the upper South Island and Hawkes Bay, and fire risk is very high in parts of the country experiencing warm temperatures, extreme winds and low humidity.
Te Tai Tokerau Northland Assistant Commander, Denis Cooper, says the region is currently in an open fire season except for a restricted season across Muriwhenua in the Far North and a prohibited fire season for all Department of Conservation islands.
He says little or no rain over the past few weeks means conditions in Northland are dry, increasing the difficulty of controlling fires quickly once they have started.
“As we have seen previously, it takes a large number of our fire brigades, many of them volunteers, with supporting resources and aircraft to contain and control wildfires in Northland,” he says.
It took eight days to extinguish a wildfire at Cape Reinga in 2023 at a cost of more than $1.5m.
“It’s these sorts of fires we are trying to avoid, so please go to checkitslaright.nz before lighting a fire,” he says.
There, you will find the fire danger rating for your area and fire season status as well as weather conditions and fire safety requirements.
And remember, to make sure your fire is always completely extinguished afterwards.
